It's important to pace yourself during SXSW. After all It's a marathon, not a sprint. In a sea of free booze and corporate sponsorships it's easy to end up hopped up on free Doritos and Taco Bell passed out at Hype Hotel. more ›

The sharp music team at NPR are no strangers to SXSW - 2012 marks the fifth year that the national public broadcast team have curated events and interviews at Austin's biggest music event of the year. Each year, the network does quite a bit of field coverage from the festival, which we've covered in past years through talks with correspondent Carrie Brownstein (now of both Portlandia and Wild Flag) and showcase reviews. more ›

Fiona Apple will play their official showcase on Thursday, March 15. The show will take place at Central Presbyterian Church for only 400 people and is open only to badge-holders. more ›

Rilo Kiley Under the Blacklight (Warner) more ›

She's arty, but her songs are as catchy as hell. She was an anti-folk regular on the New York club scene, but also hangs out with The Strokes. Tonight, Antone's hosts the entertaining contradicton that is Regina Spektor in a sold out show. Spektor's latest album Begin To Hope has received accolades from NPR, Pitchfork, The Onion, and Rolling Stone, so we suppose that just about everyone likes it. The disc is a blend of... more ›

Yea, we know, you’re tired, you’re rundown, you couldn’t possible attend another music festival for at least another year or so. Think again, friends. Just when you thought it was safe to crawl back into your cubicles, your only musical salvation coming from the tinny speakers built into your desktop, we present Vegoose. Taking place the last weekend in October, the festival in Sin City will feature Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Widespread Panic,... more ›

"Psychedelics are almost irrelevant in a town where you can wander in a casino any time in the day or night and witness the crucifixion of a gorilla.*" We know you people love your fests, and while ACL may be a tough bill to beat, sometimes it's nice to get out of town. The Vegoose Music Festival in Las Vegas combines gambling, strippers, soon-to-be divorced men, all night parties and rock n' roll into... more ›

FRIDAY [7] [film] Patton at Paramount Theatre (7:30pm) (link) [film] Sinus Show: Footloose at Alamo Downtown (7pm & 10pm, $12.50) (link) [books] Robert Sullivan presents Cross Country: Fifteen Years and 90,000 Miles on the Roads and Interstates of America ... at BookPeople (7pm) (link) [theatre] Capital T Theatre presents "A Brief History of Helen of Troy" at Hyde Park Theatre (8pm, $10-$20) (link) [theatre] "The Hollow" at Vortex (8pm, $10-$30) (link) [theatre] "In On It"... more ›

It's only June, but there is already some lineup shuffling happening over at ACL Fest. Let's start with the bad news: Irish singer/songwriter Damien Rice has departed from the bill, and no official reason has been given. All is not lost, though: Rice is still playing The Backyard in early July with Fiona Apple and David Garza. In better news, UK Britrockers Muse have joined the lineup, meaning that those who pined for Radiohead... more ›

Last week, we posted a major concert update for May and June. If you missed it, just click the Expand-O-Tron for the recap. You're welcome. This week has already brought a flurry of updates including two new shows at The Backyard. Here they are (Austinist looks out): 5/28 - Eagles Of Death Metal @ The Parish Room 6/03 - Film School + Margot & The Nuclear So-And-Sos @ Emo's 6/10 - Radio 4 +... more ›

The Austin Center for FEMA Disaster Relief closed yesterday The New Pantheon shortlist nominees have been announced, and they are: Animal Collective, Antony and the Johnsons, Fiona Apple, Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Kings of Leon, M.I.A., and Sufjan Stevens So there's evidently a species of rare African clawed frogs that, when injected with urine from a pregnant woman, will ovulate. There's also a story about how they're dying... more ›

Singer-songwriter Glen Phillips first burst onto the music scene in the 90's as the lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket, a group of four guys from the laid-back, sun-drenched California beachside town of Santa Barbara. Remember "All I Want" or "Come Down"? After Toad broke up in 1998, Phillips went on to a fairly promising solo career, releasing in 2001 the highly acclaimed Abulum. This album was largely a reminiscence of days long... more ›